The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Fuel Gauge bench testing

I have a 1954 3600. Replaced the fuel gauge and sending unit in 2013 when I finished truck. Just last week replaced the sending unit again because the gauge was bouncing around especially below 1/2 tank. Then the gauge just dropped to empty with 7 or 8 gallons in the tank. I read about the importance of the gauge itself being grounded and I remember painting the housing. I removed the housing from the dash and I did not paint the inside of it. I took the gauge out of the housing put 12 volts to the positive terminal, grounded the sending terminal and grounded the metal strip between the 2 posts. The needle stayed on empty. If I removed the ground from the sending post and kept the ground on the metal strip between the posts it would peg the needle full. This just sounds like a bad shorted gauge to me. What are your thoughts.

Sharon

I should not have taken the sending terminal straight to ground because there is no resistance involved then. I just now hooked the gauge to the battery positive and grounded the gauge itself and hooked the sending terminal to the tank unit. It may have read 1/4 full. I'm going to pull the sending unit out and move the arm up and down and hope the gauge follows the float movement. I'll keep you posted.

Sharon

Ground an attachment screw on the sender unit.

Well found the problem. the week old sending unit had a hole in the float keeping it on the bottom. Guess I call Classic tomorrow and have them send out a replacement. By the way I hooked up the sending unit to the gauge while both were out of the truck, had all grounds on them and guess what happened. The gauge worked perfectly while I moved the float up and down its travel. Never to old to learn new things.
Sharon

Beware of grounds that disappear when you reinstall fuel gauges. That square metal strip between the two screw posts on the gauge doesn't touch all the time when you put the gauge back in the cluster. The fuel sender would not register again. the cluster was grounded because the dash bulbs worked. I had to drill a small hole in the fiber pad that isolates the 2 posts from the housing and run a small gauge wire into the back of the cluster and pinch it between the grounding strip and the housing when I tightened the 2 studs. No I have a ground that won't come and go. Just wanted to let you guys know how frustrating chasing a ghostly ground can be. I did have the gauge centered on the two tabs like it's supposed to be.
Sharon

I had one from Classic with a pin hole too.

Don

You can solder the hole just make sure gas is gone or a little JB weld will work impervious to gas and oil